A little bit of this and a little bit of that

Can anyone explain to me why when everything is going along great, there always comes that bump in the road?! I mean, why can't things just stay simple for a while - would that be too much to ask!! It's not really a major thing - just more of a major pain and something that will take up much of my energy and cause some stress for the next week or so. I need to have fun things to think of - like this:

Isn't this the cutest sweater - and such fun to knit!! I have enough leftovers that I think I will make a matching hat. Meanwhile, I started on another baby sweater in chunky Zealana which I had ordered from Twisted (Shannon talks about the yarn here). This yarn is a New Zealand wool/possum blend which is bringing back memories of my trip to New Zealand. I remember being told what a pest the possums were so I am glad their fiber is bring used for something so wonderful.

But, I got slightly distracted by making one of these.

It seems like it is a little larger than it should be so it's a good thing we have all those automatic short row buttonholes. I'm hoping this will serve two purposes - keep my head warm and avoid the dreaded hat hair. I used Noro Silk Garden on size 8's and would probably drop down to 7's if I used this yarn again.

The Ribby Cardi pieces have been blocked. This may not seem like such a big deal, but the fact that it is actually out of my closet after hiding in there for quite a long time - well, it's amazing. So, my goals for next week are to start sewing Ribby up. I am slowly coming to grips with the zipper. Thank you to all of you who offered comfort and advice.

I've also been playing with some embroidery.

I want to continue working on these embroidered dish towels since they will be a house warming gift for a friend. And I may even pull the sewing machine out since I've been on a bit of a fabric buying rampage lately.